Only A Matter Of Time
by thegreatfool
Summary: A story of the demon's past and the future that is to come.


Disclamer: Naruto is the work Masashi Kishimoto. It is not mine. This is merely a fanfiction and as such it is not to be used for profit or gain of any kind. Let me repeat: It is not mine. Do not sue.

They were fools to think that I would forget. I will always remember what they did to me, to my clan, to my kind.

When Kazaruki found us, our plane, I should have known better. Harmony between humans and the spirits, or demons as they so love to call us, would never have been possible. Humans can't bear to get along with each other much less us, but when Kazaruki first traveled to our realm with his jutsu, it was earth shattering. The thought of the suffering that his visit would soon bring never even struck me as a possibility. I have always been something of an explorer and such an opportunity interested me far do deeply to just let go. And so I along with other like minded individuals secured the opening up the demon plane to the humans. "Curiosity killed the cat," indeed.

I saw the error of my ways before long, just in time for it to be too late. The humans began incorporating themselves into every facet of our lives. Many of our smiths, artisans, and even common folk ceased work instead becoming "merchants" who traded exclusively with the humans for their goods which they sold far more cheaply then we could ever hope to do. Gold was the worst. We spirits had never seen such a substance but it took hold of us quite quickly. Soon it became our primary form of currency, fashioned into small coins. But for such exotic and valuable goods what could we spirits use in trade? As I had said many of us no longer produced our goods; in many places the humans were the economy. In a way it made sense. A spirit could spend 5,000 yen on a chair made by a local craftsman or 2,500 yen on one made by the humans. I hated what was happening but by this point the humans held so much power that there was little I could do.

And on our part, what did we trade back? Our souls were our mediums of exchange. The Kazaruki clan, along with the later clans which had found us, were engulfed in a bitter civil war for control of the land. For their goods, we signed into contracts with the humans for brief periods of time, allowing the human, for the duration of the contract, to call the signer into battle whenever needed. This conduct passed throughout the duration of the civil wars, but after the end, as peace began to settle in the human world, it changed very drastically. The winning humans had secured for themselves vast parcels of land, which would in the next generation become the site of the hidden villages. Now with their power secured, the humans were free to turn their full attention the human world. The idea of temporary contracts was abolished, replaced instead with permanent ones which would belong to the ninja throughout his life. And instead of them being used as a means of trade they became a mode of survival. The deal was simple actually, enter into a contract and you got to keep your life. Soon enough spirits were bowing down to the human as servants, signing away their freedom and dignity to become the slaves of ninja. I remember a time, however long ago, when the Gama clan would have laughed at the idea of being a human's "summon." I guess time really does change everything.

We few who were left, the 9 clans of the western province of the spirit plane who refused to comply with this last measure, were dubbed the tailed demons and swiftly exterminated. I still remember the scent of blood that wet the air during those times. They may call us monsters, but I know for fact that one needs look no farther than those shinobi to see the meaning of demon. It was not till the end of the Tailed Wars that we demons were able to reverse engineer Kazaruki's jutsu and flee to the human realm. By then only the strongest were left, the clan leaders.

After that we scattered each going their own way, cloaking ourselves with the most powerful transformation jutsus we knew. I hear Shukaku was captured soon after that while posing as a resident of Suna. The poor fool wasn't even allowed the title of Tailed Beast, sad gift as it is, instead called the evil spirit of the human he had been posing as. A human spirit, not even the raccoon dog deserved such an insult.

As for myself I fled to the mountains, as far as possible from the humans as I could go. And there I trained. Some 300 years I worked and labored, and when I felt I was strong enough I made my move for Konoha. I could already taste my revenge. It would so good, so sweet. The taste of treacherous blood and flesh coating my fur and fangs as the crack of bones and sinew greeted my every step. Those bottomless screams that would echo out of dying mouths, their sob ridden pleas for mercy. Bliss.

I was almost single minded in my pursuit of this…heaven. I could barely sleep at night without waking with adrenaline pumping through my veins at dreams of battle. Looking back on the matter, I not help but feel the subtle twinges of shame. My father was right it seems, "Those who chase shadows should be wary of their own."

The irony of the situation however, did not matter to me. In a way it still fails to. Disgust I feel at myself, but I feel not an ounce of regret for my actions. They deserved it and if my honor was the payment for revenge I think it a worthy exchange. Honor is a luxury that I could no longer afford.

Nothing would stop me from reaching Konoha as fast as my paws could carry me. True enough I did destroy some of the other villages along the way, but they were mere distractions, the Leaf Village was my prize. The memory of my mate and kit, lying motionless on the ground as blood soaked in the craggy soil of our camp drove me. It and the sight of that crimson stained blade engraved with the symbol of the very man who had first brought the humans to our land. I barely got away. Part of me still regrets that I did; dying would have hurt so much less.

Kazaruki may have been gone, but the home of his descendants was still a blight on the surface of the earth. The body was dust, but his blood still ran in the veins of the man who called himself Hokage. He would be gone soon. Maybe then my kit would stop sobbing in my dreams.

The rest is history as they say. I engaged the ninja and burnt half their village to the ground before the Forth summoned the Shinigami to seal me within his legacy. They say I lost, but only a fool would think I have just yet. I haven't died you see. The great Fourth Hokage in all of his power and glory couldn't kill me. Gama-bunta the traitor that his is couldn't kill me. The entire village of Konoha couldn't kill me. And yet, they think I have lost; ohhh the fools. I haven't lost, they've assured it. The boy can't hold it in forever you know. I'm not even sure he truly wants to anymore.

They were fools to think he would put up with it forever. The boy is many things, but a doormat, that he is not. I know him better than anyone after all. I watched him grow up. I protected him with my chakra from the stones, and knives, and fists from his precious villagers, though I could do not but heal.

I'm not so hard to kill anymore, but then again from a realistic point of view I'm immortal. All they would have to do to kill me, is be inhuman. Funny, no? They would have to accept, to nurture, to cherish that little boy who would so willingly give his life to see them smile. Sometimes I think I have had more influence on the boy then I know; he is far too kind to be human. They would have to love. What a laugh, a human loving. If they could do that, I would never have had a reason to burn Konoha to the ground in the first place.

Do they think he can go on forgiving forever. I've heard his sobbing late at night, back when he still allowed himself the privilege of crying. I've heard him whimper for his parents, for a friend, for anybody. I've heard him plead with them for the beatings to stop. I've seen his face as he watched his home, if you can even call the dive they force him to live in a home, burn down. I saw it crumple as his village looked on and smiled. The boy can forgive, but he will never forget. The question is, how long will he be able to continue the former?

I think the Third was the only one who really got the idea. Too bad the kid wanted to be Hokage. I think when the Third decided to try to include him in the village, not even he would have expected for the boy to ask to join the academy. The old man didn't have a choice, saying no really would have sealed the village's fate. Maybe he had hoped he could guide the boy, save the village from my wrath, but he's dead now and the dead can't do anything but rot. Thanks Orochimaru.

I have all the patience in the world. True enough, Kyubi no Kitsune may be gone, but Naruto Uzumaki is still here and he is all I need.

One day he'll wake up and ask why he even wants to be Hokage. The people certainly don't deserve him, they deserve me. And friends, well I would be hard picked to point out a single one that truly cares for him. Hell even his teacher cares more for the emotional nutcase than for him and don't even get me started on the pink haired sicko. I know humans aren't the brightest creatures in the world, but whoever thought that training a mentally unstable chick with split personality syndrome how too kill really deserves a pat on the back.

He still has time. Childhood is all about having unrealistic dreams. One day though he'll grow up and see the world for what it really is. He'll see that a monster will never be Hokage. Never.

It's already started really. The quiet grumbles in his head that none hear but I, the steady clenching of his fists at the unceasing stream of neglect, pain, and ridicule. And most importantly he's started talking to me. Truly talking and listening to me, instead of just demands for my chakra. He's even started calling me Kyubi-sama though I doubt he has even noticed the change.

And so we talk. Late at night, when there is nothing around but that ever present silence, he'll lie there and ask me questions. Sometimes it's about a jutsu he's seen recently, other times about something that happened on his mission. And then, every once in a while, he'll ask me something truly important. Something that dives far beneath the shallow surface of everyday life. And I will answer. True enough he doesn't agree with me…yet, but the point is he's listening. Why listen if you aren't interested.

Just wait and see. I'll get my revenge, and he'll get his. My kit be patient, papa will stop your sobbing. It's only a matter of time.


End file.
